| CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit St. Petersburg, FloridaRace AdvanceFebruary 27-March 1, 2026 DETROIT (February 25, 2026) – The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES kicks off with the traditional spring break party – the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – with Chevrolet looking to win their tenth manufacturer title since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, and their 17th all-time manufacturer crown since 1979. A dozen drivers, including 2025 second-place championship finisher and 2024 winner at this event, Pato O’Ward, will represent the Bowtie brand to start the season on the demanding 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit. “After a strong finish to the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, we’re eager to get back on track and compete for a tenth manufacturers’ title since 2012,” said GM Motorsports – IndyCar Program Manager Andrew Schutter. “An extension to our supplier agreement, the spring break party atmosphere, and massive crowds, provide our engineers a little extra energy as we kick off our season in St. Petersburg. Our talented engineers, teams, and drivers have worked together during the off-season to find every possible hundredth-of-a-second gain that will make the difference in the ultra-competitive field in 2026. ” Highlights of the 2026 season include the Indianapolis 500, where Chevrolet will be going for their 14th trip to victory lane, a return to Phoenix Raceway in a doubleheader with NASCAR, new street circuits in Arlington, Texas, Markham, Ontario, and Washington, D.C., and visits to iconic tracks across the country as part of the 18-race schedule. |
| Chevrolet on the Streets of St. Petersburg Chevrolet-powered drivers have won nine of the 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES held on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, with Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet winning in 2024. Seven drivers and three teams have combined for the nine wins, with Team Penske’s seven wins leading all squads.Only drivers from Team Penske have won the pole on the palm tree-lined circuit on the edge of Tampa Bay, with the ‘Captain’s’ men wearing Bowties winning ten of the 14 poles since 2012. A driver representing Team Chevy has stood on the podium 25 times since 2012, while 16 drivers representing six teams have led 754 laps across those 14 races. |
| Starting the year off on a high note Since 1946, Chevrolet-powered cars have won the first race of the year (against competition) on 16 occasions, and eight of the 14 season-opening races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012. Juan Pablo Montoya (2015 & 2016), Rick Mears (1989 & 1990) and Mario Andretti (1987 & 1988) are the drivers with multiple Chevrolet-powered wins in season-opening races. Team Penske (1989, 1990, 1992, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, & 2024) has ten wins in the first race of the year, leading the way for Team Chevy. |
| Notable Numbers 6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012141 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time245 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012676 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time |
| Making his Team Chevy return One of those season-opening winners, James Hinchcliffe, returns to the street circuit where he won the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES while piloting a Chevrolet-powered Dallara. The Canadian will make his NASCAR debut on Saturday, stepping behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. |
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| James Hinchcliffe crosses the line in the No. 27 Andretti Global Chevrolet to win Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season (Photo: INDYCAR) |
| “It’s awesome,” said Hinchcliffe after the win in 2013. “There’s been a lot of talk about it in the off-season, when that first one was going to come, what we had to do to get there My answer was always the same. We had to minimize the mistakes. The team is good, the car is good, the engineers are good. We proved last year the team is capable of winning. It’s down to me on any given Sunday to minimize mistakes. “We capitalized on restarts. The last restart was on blacks, everyone around us was on reds. Helio made a mistake. I thought I would lead for a couple laps, but he would catch up. For that many laps on technically the slower tires took everything out of me. “I was so happy to get it done and get Go Daddy its first win in IndyCar, Chevrolet back in Victory Circle, one, two, three on the podium, podium sweep. My teammate on the podium. It’s just a helluva day.” |
| What They’re Saying: Caio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO MAKE YOUR FIRST INDYCAR START?“Very excited. I think the team has put in a lot of work, and so have I. We have been checking as many boxes as we can to prepare for the race as best we can, and I feel ready to attack the challenge. It is a dream coming true. A little bit anxious about it, but taking it day-by-day. Hopefully we can start off with a great race weekend.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:“I think Chevy’s done a lot of development through the winter, and from what I can tell, in Sebring and at the Open Test in Phoenix, I feel pretty good about some of the things that they’ve accomplished. It’s going to be hard to tell where everybody stacks up but I’ve been quite comfortable with Chevrolet, and y I’m looking forward to returning with them to the grid.” Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing and kicking off the season this weekend in St. Pete. It’s always a great atmosphere down there, and it’s a place where we’ve had success in the past. We had a really strong year in 2025, but the offseason has been all about preparing to take that next step in 2026. That mission starts this weekend.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“It’s been a busy offseason of training for me. I was fortunate to get a lot of track time with the endurance racing along with simulator time, meetings with the crew, our recent tests in Sebring and Phoenix. I’m ready to put all that work to the test in St. Pete and get back to NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m eager to get on track this weekend. My focus is always on getting better, progressing, learning. I’m looking forward to continuing that progress into Year 2 at Arrow McLaren, starting with St. Pete. It’s been a full offseason of prep including two recent quality tests, and we’re ready to go and deliver a strong result.” ECR Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“Last week’s Phoenix test was a great first showing of how hard everyone at ECR has worked over the offseason. Now it is finally time to get the season started with the first race of the year and I could not be more excited. St. Pete is always a fun challenge with an unpredictable race, and I can’t wait to get out there and see what the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet can accomplish.”Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet: “I’m excited to get back on track in St. Pete with Splenda Stevia! ECR has done an incredible job over the offseason preparing and I’m looking forward to building on last year’s progress. We had a very solid test at Phoenix as a team and now we want see our hard work come together in the season opener!” |
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| Team and Driver Previews: We sent out extensive team and driver previews earlier this week that you can read here:A.J. Foyt RacingArrow McLarenECRJuncos Hollinger RacingTeam Penske |
| Tune-In Guide: FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 SaturdayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 SundayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 |
| Chevrolet history on the Streets of St. Petersburg Wins – 9 2024 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2020 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2016 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2015 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2014 – Will Power – Team Penske2013 – James Hinchcliffe – Team Penske2012 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske |
| Poles – 10 2025 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2024 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2020 – Will Power – Team Penske2019 – Will Power – Team Penske2017 – Will Power – Team Penske2016 – Will Power – Team Penske2015 – Will Power – Team Penske2013 – Will Power – Team Penske2012 – Will Power – Team Penske |  |
| Podiums: 25 Chevrolet driver podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (5), Josef Newgarden (4), Helio Castroneves (3), Pato O’Ward (3), Simon Pagenaud (3), Juan Montoya (2), Marco Andretti (1), James Hinchcliffe (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Scott McLaughlin (1) Chevrolet team podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (18), Andretti Global (3), Arrow McLaren (3), Chip Ganassi Racing (1) Laps Led: 754 Chevrolet driver laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (213), Scott McLaughlin (127), Josef Newgarden (83), Helio Castroneves (73), Juan Montoya (71), Simon Pagenaud (64), James Hinchcliffe (26), Christian Lundgaard (23), Pato O’Ward (23), Oriol Servia (16), Rinus VeeKay (13), Ryan Briscoe (9), Jordan King (5), Tomas Enge (4), JR Hildebrand (3), Mike Conway (1) Chevrolet team laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (640), Arrow McLaren (46), Andretti Global (26), ECR (19), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (16), Panther Racing (7) |
| CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESFirestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit St. Petersburg, FloridaRace AdvanceFebruary 27-March 1, 2026 DETROIT (February 25, 2026) – The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES kicks off with the traditional spring break party – the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – with Chevrolet looking to win their tenth manufacturer title since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, and their 17th all-time manufacturer crown since 1979. A dozen drivers, including 2025 second-place championship finisher and 2024 winner at this event, Pato O’Ward, will represent the Bowtie brand to start the season on the demanding 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit. “After a strong finish to the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, we’re eager to get back on track and compete for a tenth manufacturers’ title since 2012,” said GM Motorsports – IndyCar Program Manager Andrew Schutter. “An extension to our supplier agreement, the spring break party atmosphere, and massive crowds, provide our engineers a little extra energy as we kick off our season in St. Petersburg. Our talented engineers, teams, and drivers have worked together during the off-season to find every possible hundredth-of-a-second gain that will make the difference in the ultra-competitive field in 2026. ” Highlights of the 2026 season include the Indianapolis 500, where Chevrolet will be going for their 14th trip to victory lane, a return to Phoenix Raceway in a doubleheader with NASCAR, new street circuits in Arlington, Texas, Markham, Ontario, and Washington, D.C., and visits to iconic tracks across the country as part of the 18-race schedule. |
| Chevrolet on the Streets of St. Petersburg Chevrolet-powered drivers have won nine of the 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES held on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, with Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet winning in 2024. Seven drivers and three teams have combined for the nine wins, with Team Penske’s seven wins leading all squads.Only drivers from Team Penske have won the pole on the palm tree-lined circuit on the edge of Tampa Bay, with the ‘Captain’s’ men wearing Bowties winning ten of the 14 poles since 2012. A driver representing Team Chevy has stood on the podium 25 times since 2012, while 16 drivers representing six teams have led 754 laps across those 14 races. |
| Starting the year off on a high note Since 1946, Chevrolet-powered cars have won the first race of the year (against competition) on 16 occasions, and eight of the 14 season-opening races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012. Juan Pablo Montoya (2015 & 2016), Rick Mears (1989 & 1990) and Mario Andretti (1987 & 1988) are the drivers with multiple Chevrolet-powered wins in season-opening races. Team Penske (1989, 1990, 1992, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, & 2024) has ten wins in the first race of the year, leading the way for Team Chevy. |
| Notable Numbers 6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012141 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time245 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012676 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time |
| Making his Team Chevy return One of those season-opening winners, James Hinchcliffe, returns to the street circuit where he won the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES while piloting a Chevrolet-powered Dallara. The Canadian will make his NASCAR debut on Saturday, stepping behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. |
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| James Hinchcliffe crosses the line in the No. 27 Andretti Global Chevrolet to win Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season (Photo: INDYCAR) |
| “It’s awesome,” said Hinchcliffe after the win in 2013. “There’s been a lot of talk about it in the off-season, when that first one was going to come, what we had to do to get there My answer was always the same. We had to minimize the mistakes. The team is good, the car is good, the engineers are good. We proved last year the team is capable of winning. It’s down to me on any given Sunday to minimize mistakes. “We capitalized on restarts. The last restart was on blacks, everyone around us was on reds. Helio made a mistake. I thought I would lead for a couple laps, but he would catch up. For that many laps on technically the slower tires took everything out of me. “I was so happy to get it done and get Go Daddy its first win in IndyCar, Chevrolet back in Victory Circle, one, two, three on the podium, podium sweep. My teammate on the podium. It’s just a helluva day.” |
| What They’re Saying: Caio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO MAKE YOUR FIRST INDYCAR START?“Very excited. I think the team has put in a lot of work, and so have I. We have been checking as many boxes as we can to prepare for the race as best we can, and I feel ready to attack the challenge. It is a dream coming true. A little bit anxious about it, but taking it day-by-day. Hopefully we can start off with a great race weekend.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:“I think Chevy’s done a lot of development through the winter, and from what I can tell, in Sebring and at the Open Test in Phoenix, I feel pretty good about some of the things that they’ve accomplished. It’s going to be hard to tell where everybody stacks up but I’ve been quite comfortable with Chevrolet, and y I’m looking forward to returning with them to the grid.” Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing and kicking off the season this weekend in St. Pete. It’s always a great atmosphere down there, and it’s a place where we’ve had success in the past. We had a really strong year in 2025, but the offseason has been all about preparing to take that next step in 2026. That mission starts this weekend.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“It’s been a busy offseason of training for me. I was fortunate to get a lot of track time with the endurance racing along with simulator time, meetings with the crew, our recent tests in Sebring and Phoenix. I’m ready to put all that work to the test in St. Pete and get back to NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m eager to get on track this weekend. My focus is always on getting better, progressing, learning. I’m looking forward to continuing that progress into Year 2 at Arrow McLaren, starting with St. Pete. It’s been a full offseason of prep including two recent quality tests, and we’re ready to go and deliver a strong result.” ECR Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“Last week’s Phoenix test was a great first showing of how hard everyone at ECR has worked over the offseason. Now it is finally time to get the season started with the first race of the year and I could not be more excited. St. Pete is always a fun challenge with an unpredictable race, and I can’t wait to get out there and see what the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet can accomplish.”Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet: “I’m excited to get back on track in St. Pete with Splenda Stevia! ECR has done an incredible job over the offseason preparing and I’m looking forward to building on last year’s progress. We had a very solid test at Phoenix as a team and now we want see our hard work come together in the season opener!” |
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| Team and Driver Previews: We sent out extensive team and driver previews earlier this week that you can read here:A.J. Foyt RacingArrow McLarenECRJuncos Hollinger RacingTeam Penske |
| Tune-In Guide: FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 SaturdayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 SundayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 |
| Chevrolet history on the Streets of St. Petersburg Wins – 9 2024 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2020 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2016 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2015 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2014 – Will Power – Team Penske2013 – James Hinchcliffe – Team Penske2012 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske |
| Poles – 10 2025 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2024 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2020 – Will Power – Team Penske2019 – Will Power – Team Penske2017 – Will Power – Team Penske2016 – Will Power – Team Penske2015 – Will Power – Team Penske2013 – Will Power – Team Penske2012 – Will Power – Team Penske | |
| Podiums: 25 Chevrolet driver podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (5), Josef Newgarden (4), Helio Castroneves (3), Pato O’Ward (3), Simon Pagenaud (3), Juan Montoya (2), Marco Andretti (1), James Hinchcliffe (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Scott McLaughlin (1) Chevrolet team podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (18), Andretti Global (3), Arrow McLaren (3), Chip Ganassi Racing (1) Laps Led: 754 Chevrolet driver laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (213), Scott McLaughlin (127), Josef Newgarden (83), Helio Castroneves (73), Juan Montoya (71), Simon Pagenaud (64), James Hinchcliffe (26), Christian Lundgaard (23), Pato O’Ward (23), Oriol Servia (16), Rinus VeeKay (13), Ryan Briscoe (9), Jordan King (5), Tomas Enge (4), JR Hildebrand (3), Mike Conway (1) Chevrolet team laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (640), Arrow McLaren (46), Andretti Global (26), ECR (19), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (16), Panther Racing (7) |
| Manufacturer History on the Streets Of St. Petersburg Wins (with competition) 9 – Chevrolet (2024, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012)6 – Honda (2025, 2023, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2005) Poles (with competition) 10 – Chevrolet (2025, 2024, 2023, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012)5 – Honda (2023, 2021, 2018, 2014, 2005) Historical Chevrolet in the INDYCAR SERIES information INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championships (since 1979)Chevrolet-Powered Wins in the Twin-Turbo 2.2L V6 Era (2012-present)Chevrolet-Powered Wins – All-Time |